What Lies Within
by Shenara
Summary: Shonen-ai (SephXZack). Death isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially not for godlings who have angered the Cetra.
1. Pain

PAIN.  
  
::What have you done?! You can't be defeated! Stand up, you weakling!:: The familiar voice screams at me, like it always screams  
  
I labor to right myself, but I can feel very little physical sensation. Just the pain.  
  
::Not like that, you fool! Stand up!:: I shake my head, barely, just wanting the voice to go away for once.  
  
The pain engulfs my world as I begin to fall backwards into the pool of Lifestream. I feel my body breaking apart from the inside as I gush blood from a dozen large wounds.  
  
::Idiot! You are a God! God's can't die!:: The voice seems desperate now.  
  
There is pain. And then there is nothing  
  
I wait and listen for the voice to start yelling at me again, but it remains silent, wherever it is.  
  
For the first time I can remember, I feel at peace.  
  
Then I'm floating, immersed in a liquid that contains the souls of all the Planet's dead. The Lifestream pulls me in, deeper down into the Planet.   
  
The peace is gone, replaced by something even more foreign.  
  
For the first time I can remember, I feel fear.   
  
This isn't like the times when I'd explored the Lifestream before, soaking up the knowledge of the Cetra. Then I'd always had a body to link myself to so I could return from the depthless pool of energy. And even then, at the peak of my power I never traveled this far down into the core of the Planet. My mind freezes in shock as I realize that I will now endure the punishment of the Planet for my attempt to maim and control it.  
  
I start to struggle as I come closer to the brightly glowing center of the Planet.  
  
::Don't worry.::  
  
I freeze in shock once more. That voice… different from the one I'm used to... calm, loving...  
  
And then there is nothing, again. 


	2. Denial

I awake to the realization that my head is nearly splitting in half from a migraine.   
  
::Get up you fool!:: The voice is back again, louder than ever.  
  
My body is sore, but not as sore as I feel it should be. Using my hands, I prop myself into a sitting position.  
  
Correction - I try to prop myself into a sitting position. In actuality, I only succed in falling back down and gasping in pain, as my headache worsens to an unbearable level.   
  
::Weakling! You are weak, weak, weak, weak, weak!!!:: Silently, I tell the annoying voice to shut up and leave me alone. I open my eyes, and am greeted by blinding, red lights. I promptly shut them again, cursing whatever vengeful God is torturing me.  
  
"I see that you're finally awake."  
  
That other voice again… It can't be...  
  
"Well? Are you gonna talk to me, Sephiroth? Or is the Great General at a loss for words to give his second-in-command?"  
  
I open my eyes again in amazement as I roll onto my side and lean on my elbow. This time I prepare for the pain and can see past the crimson light to shocks of glossy, black spikes.   
  
It IS him. "Z-Zack?"  
  
::Fool! Don't let him see you confused! Confusion is weakness!:: I force my eyes to focus on the man before me.  
  
"The top-ranking Soldier…stuttering? My, my, what is the world coming to?" The handsome young man gives me a winning grin, one of his old trademarks.  
  
"But… you're dead," I struggle to get the sentence out clearly, and manage to keep my voice firm and strong.  
  
::Hmph! That's better.::   
  
The voice quiets down and I continue, "I... killed you five years ago in—"  
  
"Nibelheim? Wrong Seph. You hurt me pretty bad, but you certainly didn't kill me. I was still alive, if barely conscious, when you stormed down the steps in the reactor and Cloud took you on. Gotta say, I didn't know the kid had it in him, although I'm sure glad he did. We couldn't of had you running around the world in your state now could we?" Zack chuckles quietly as he leans against a wall of red rock. "Ah… five years. Geez. Time sure flies, huh, Seph?"  
  
Five years… If I'd known you were alive…  
  
::Fool! Idiot! Weakling! You did fine without this worthless human!:: I wince as the voice reverberates through my skull.  
  
I glare suspiciously at Zack, "Why are you acting so friendly? I tried to kill you. Aren't you—"  
  
"Mad? Nah. Sure - I was - for a little while. But considering I was the one who attacked you in the first place… well being angry didn't really seem very constructive. After all - we're friends, right?" Zack's gaze drops to the floor, "I couldn't let you get away with doing that to all those people, though." Zack's voice drops as he finishes, his beautiful baritone lilting sadly.  
  
::He's not your friend! He lies! He will only attack you again if you let him!::   
  
I angrily tell the voice to be quiet and continue to glare at Zack, "Those pathetic humans? They were—"  
  
"Worthless? What makes you say that, Seph? What makes you so different?" Zack's voice echoes through the room, booming, as it always used to when he got mad.  
  
::See! He is a fool! You are a God! God's need no friends!::   
  
Ignoring the voice, I smile softly. You always did yell about the stupidest things, Zack... If you hadn't had such a 'pure' heart, then maybe... I banish the thoughts angrily and glare at Zack, "What makes us the same? I'm no pathetic human, nor am I a lowly Cetra either." I sit up completely, my headache finally gone.  
  
"Yeah, yeah I know. The blood of Jenova runs through your veins, right? Look Seph you're as human as me and every other member of Soldier… well maybe a little bit less. We all had Jenova in us though. It was part of Hojo's 'special training,' remember?" Zack waves his arms ridiculously, emphasizing his statements.  
  
::He lies! You are the child of Jenova! Chosen to rule the Planet!::  
  
"They may have been injected with cells from Mother, but none of them are attuned to the power of Jenova as I am." I rise to my feet and glare down at Zack. "I can control those fools." I look around the room and find I am in a cavern of red rock. The bright light jumps from flames that shoot out from the walls with no apparent source. "I don't remember seeing this place on any of my journeys. Where are we?" I walk up to the flames. They give off no heat and I begin to study them intently.  
  
"That's a little difficult to explain." Zack walks up next to me and daringly sticks his hand into the flames and then pulls it back out unscathed.. "See? No burn."  
  
::He is too close! He has invaded your space! He hasn't the right to stand so close to you!::   
  
Zack chuckles as I look at him, thoroughly unamused.  
  
"An illusion."  
  
Zack nods his head, his spikes bobbing. "Yeah, basically. The Ancients set this all up."  
  
"The Cetra? Hmph. How did I get here?" I look at Zack accusingly.  
  
"Hey don't give me that look! I had nothing to do with it. It was all the Cetra, I swear! If I'd had my way…" Zack trailed off shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.  
  
"If you'd had your way… you mean you met them—the Cetra?!" My eyes widen slightly in disbelief.  
  
::He is lying! Kill the infidel for showing you this disrespect!:: I growl inwardly at the voice. There is no reason for me to kill Zack.  
  
"Yeah. They're pretty mean when you don't speak their language, but I had a translator. You know her, I believe." Zack's voice drops dangerously low and his hands clench violently into fists, the knuckles growing white.   
  
::He's going to attack you! Kill him, before he has a chance!:: The muscles in my arms tense quickly, and my fist jumps a few inches, but I catch myself and hold still.  
  
Zack slowly unclenches his fists and looks up at me with a grin. "But there won't be any more of that now. You're going to be a good boy as long as I'm around. I'll make sure of it this time."  
  
::See how condescending he is! He speaks of you as a mutt, and thinks to control you!:: Shut up.  
  
I raise an eyebrow at Zack's declaration. "And what makes you so sure you can stop me?"  
  
Zack somehow manages to grin even wider. "Well if I'm right about you, which I am, then I won't need to." He starts walking to the one exit in the otherwise round room. "Come on, we should be going. We've already spent way too long in this room. If we don't hurry up it'll catch us."  
  
"What'll catch us?" I ask as I follow Zack down a winding corridor. 


	3. Rupert, huh?

"They call it a Shadow Eater." Zack continues along the hallway until it opens into a large chamber with multiple exits. The mass of black spikes that serves as Zack's hair bobs, as he seemingly thinks about which tunnel to choose. After a short moment , he shrugs, and sets off down one of them.  
  
"They? You mean the Cetra." ::Look at how he baits you into conversation! He is toying with you!:: Were it anyone other than Zack baiting me like this, I'd probably be annoyed. ::Annoyed? You would kill them outright!:: But Zack always liked to make sure that I was paying attention. ::That's no excuse!:: It's just like old times...  
  
"Yeah, them. Personally, I prefer to call it Rupert." Zack stops in mid-stride and turns to face me his lips spreading in another charming smirk. "Do you remember?"  
  
::He thinks to test you with stupid games?!:: I snort. "Rupert… Rupert Clandstine. A young noble cursed to walk the Planet, seeking out the dead who refused to rest, until he cleansed the world of their kind." ::Why do you play his games?:: I continue on the path past Zack, who stares at me, slack-jawed.  
  
"Hey! All those midnight story-telling sessions really did make it into your skull. And here I'd always thought I was just wasting my time." Zack chuckles to himself and starts to trod down the corridor alongside me.  
  
::He's laughing at you. None have that right!:: I feel dizzy for a moment as the world around me turns slightly red. I close my eyes and shake my head softly. I open them again and my vision has cleared.   
  
"So why is this 'Rupert' after us?" I stop in the middle of the corridor, swiveling on my feet to face Zack. "You can't mean that we're…" I notice my own voice trailing off as I realize the meaning of Zack's pet-name for the beast.  
  
"Dead?" Zack gives a staccato laugh. "'Fraid so, Sephy." He looks at me cheerfully for a second but immediately sobers. "You didn't honestly think that you'd survive Cloud's wrath after all you've put him through, did you?"  
  
I suddenly feel dizzy again and collapse to my knees. My vision clouds crimson as my mind focuses on one word. Dead. After all that I've been through… NO! ::You have the blood of Jenova, you can't be dead!::   
  
"Dead?! Then tell me Zack, why I still feel!" I climb back up to my feet, once more the confident Soldier. Taking the sad expression on Zack's face for admittance of defeat, I continue. "Tell me why I haven't returned to the Planet! I'm not dead! How can a god die?!"   
  
My eyes widen as a new thought hits me. ::He isn't real.::  
  
"You… you're not Zack. Zack is dead, and you… you will follow him for your mockery!" ::Yes! Kill the human!:: I leap to my feet and grab the uniformed Soldier by his throat, lifting him off the ground with ease.  
  
I look into the eyes of shining blue, staring at me beneath locks of ebony. The impostor doesn't struggle, and I take this as a final signal of victory. ::Yes! He recognizes your superiority! Now kill him!:: I feel the familiar bloodlust rising within me and my fingers tighten around Zack's throat, the razor sharp nails incising small cuts upon the surface of his skin. I start to grin as I feel my old demeanor that was awakend by this impostor recede, making way for my usual demonic cravings.  
  
::Would you… Kill me?::  
  
The voice rings clearly through my head, and a surprised shriek resonates in my skull.  
  
::Right here, like this?::  
  
My grip loosens, my nails no longer drawing blood. I feel dizzy again and a vision of darkness consumes my mind.  
  
::Just like old times, huh?::  
  
A scene plays in my mind unbidden, forcing the demonic darkness to fade. The battle in Nibelheim's reactor five years earlier begins to replay in vivid detail. I see it as an observer, as I often did during my trips into the Lifestream. Everything is as I remembered it. The glossy shine of Zack's hair and the glint in his eyes as he faces me, his mentor. The twitching of his cheeks as he raises his gigantic sword above his head. The tears, streaming down his determined face as he charges towards the other me.  
  
There's a bright flash, and then the reactor is covered in darkness. Zack's voice calls out, echoing in the shadow. I stare around in confusion - this has never happened before. The darkness fades, converging at the base of the Jenova capsule. It covers the other version of me, and my doppelganger sprouts demonic wings of energy, his lips turning up in a viscious snarl. The twisted memory then draws his own sword and charges Zack.  
  
"Can you really do it again, Seph?"  
  
The question dances around my skull. I run forward frantically, filled with a feeling of urgency as I try to change what I know is going to happen. I'm not getting there fast enough though, and I watch in horror as the demon before me swings his sword in a graceful, but deadly arc. The blade whistles through the air, and I start to scream as Zack bends into the blow rather than trying to avoid it as he always did before in my dreams. A sharp 'Clang!' echoes through the Reactor, followed by the painful scraping sound of steel on steel. I stare in amazement as sparks fly from Zack's single shoulder-guard, where it meets the blade of the demon.  
  
"Never again, Seph."  
  
Zack brings his own sword to bear as he closes in on the demon, smacking it visciously across the skull with the flat of his blade. The demon flies across the reactor, flying over machinery and pipes before coming to rest against a wall with a resounding thud. Zack spits at the demon and then he turns to face me, a genuine smile slowly spreading across his face, "Never again."  
  
The darkness starts to fade back into my vision just as I notice that my cheeks are damp. The darkness grows as I ponder the dampness - the Reactor isn't that cold... and I haven't been swimming? I realize that I'm crying as I sink past the darkness.   
  
Crying... crying... cry... 


	4. Reaquaintance

The little boy cried. He knew what he'd done was wrong. He hadn't meant to do it. His sobs became louder. He hadn't meant to do it!  
  
And now 'He' would be mad. The boy always seemed to make 'Him' mad.  
  
::Cry! That's all you know how to do isn't it!:: The sobs increased and the boy started shaking his head, his short silver hair flying about his face.  
  
::Go away!:: The boy opened his eyes and glared, tears streaming down his cheeks. ::'He' said you're not real! Go away!::  
  
A globe of darkness appeared before the boy and became a face. ::Oh I am very real, my child...::  
  
::Don't call me that! You're not my mother!:: The boy grabbed a book nearby and threw it at the face. It passed through the darkness, causing it to ripple. ::Go away!:: The boy started to sob again, as the globe faded, chuckling softly.  
  
Footsteps. They were very faint, but the boy heard them anyway. If they didn't get louder he might be safe for now. He stifled his sobs as best as he could and prayed to the Planet that 'He' wouldn't come.  
  
The footsteps grew softer, and then the sounds disappeared completely. The boy stopped hiding his sobs and let them burst through again.  
  
He knew what he'd done was wrong. He just didn't know why.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
::Can you walk now?::  
  
As the dream fades from my mind, I try to grasp at the pieces of it but they float away. Who was that boy? The dream evades me completely and I open my eyes, "Zack?"  
  
The black haired man is kneeling beside me. "I said, 'Can you walk now?'" He rises to his feet and offers me his hand. I wait for the voice to scream at me, telling me not to trust him, but I hear nothing. After a few moments I grasp Zack's hand tightly and my old comrade pulls me to my feet, which I find are stable enough to walk on.  
  
I release Zack's hand, once again expecting a reprimand, and once again receiving only silence. Mentally shrugging it off, I look around, trying to get my bearings. I'm in another corridor, nearly identical to the one I last remember seeing.  
  
"Come on. It's close, and if we don't hurry, it'll catch us." Zack hurries through the passageway, not looking back to see if his command was being followed.  
  
I follow the bobbing spikes in front of me, easily able to keep up with the grueling pace the former Soldier sets. A thousand questions were brewing in my mind, the foremost of which is why my cheeks are still damp. "The Shadow Eater?"  
  
The spikes bounce quickly - a nod. "Rupert was able to get a lock on us while I was waiting for you to wake up. We can't afford any more incidents like that or he'll catch us for sure." Zack's pace picks up - he's almost running now.  
  
"How do you know so much about him?"  
  
"I spent a lot of time with the Cetra after my old girlfriend, Aeris joined the Lifestream." At this Zack throws a look of anger over his shoulder, "I know all about their nifty creations. This cave we're in for example: It's called the Chambers of Fire. It's sort of like the old Gongagan religion's Hell. Persons found unworthy by the Cetra Council are sent here to be devoured by the Shadow Eater." Zack had switched into his old 'Soldier' persona, the one he used to use on missions, back when we worked together.  
  
"Are there any exits?"  
  
"No. Not conventional ones anyway. The whole maze links up like a complex mobius loop. In the center though, there's a materia. It's huge and powerful. It's the only thing that makes this place a reality. If we can get rid of it somehow…" Zack's voice trails off as he continues his jog along the corridor.  
  
I wait for him to continue, but apparently its my turn to talk again, "And you've got no idea how to do that."   
  
Zack's shoulders shrug at the statement. How typical. He never did go into battle with a proper plan. I laugh once sharply. It's not a very joyous laugh, but it's hardly one of my old maniacal cries either. "Well that's helpful. In that case, tell me what you know about 'Rupert.' Why are you so scared of him?"  
  
Zack cranes his neck while jogging and glares at me. "I'm not scared." He faces forward again to avoid running blind. "I just know our limits. The Shadow Eater devours the souls of those thrown into the Chambers. That's its purpose as programmed by the Cetra. It is itself not of this world. It is an unholy fusion of Lifestream and Jenova, created by the Cetra in death to destroy their enemies." Zack glances backwards again. "And before you ask, we can't destroy it. It has no real substance, so we can't really hurt it. That's why we need to find a way to get rid of that damned materia."  
  
"I see." I continue to jog behind Zack, trusting him to guide us to the center and our goal. So… the Cetra created a monster of Jenova? I guess you weren't the first one, Professor. My eyebrows scrunch together as a new thought hits me. "Wait, Zack, if this thing is made of Jenova, I can just control it."  
  
Zack shakes his head violently. "Negative on that General. The only reason you were able to manipulate Jenova before was because you had so much of it in you. Our old bodies are gone though, the ones we have now are lifestream constructs made by that damned materia. You and I are both one-hundred-percent Jenova-free now!" Zack throws his trademark grin over his shoulder. "Ain't it great?"  
  
I shake my head in wonder. "So… I'm human now."  
  
"Eh, if you count being made of lifestream as human, then yeah, I guess so. None of that damned disease in us now though, that's for sure." Zack looks back at me again. "Didn't you wonder where your sword went when you woke up that first time?"  
  
Screeching to a halt I quickly stare at my belt. The Masamune is gone, and so is its scabbard. I glance back at Zack, "And the Cetra did this?"  
  
Zack laughs uproariously, "What were you so stunned by seeing my charming face again, that you forgot completely about your beloved weapon? 'My, my how the mighty have fallen!'"  
  
I glare at Zack's spikes and hope that he trips over his feet or something. "Fuck you."  
  
Zack chuckles, "You wish Old Man!" and continues running.  
  
"I'm not old."  
  
Zack snorts, "Really? Then why are you panting back there?"  
  
I come to a stop to catch my breath. "I'm NOT old..." I'm just... I'm just... I try to think back but something blocks my memory, and my vision starts to get blurry again. How old AM I?  
  
Zack stops running and comes back to me. I begin to sway on my feet and he reaches out and grabs my shoulder, holding me up, "Easy there, Seph." He points at the corridor walls ahead of us, which are infused with a ghostly white glow, "Past this next bend is the materia chamber. If you've got any materia destroying ideas now would be a good time to share with the class." 


	5. The Shadow Eater

The little boy sniffled as he was circled by the vulture of a man.  
  
"Well? Dammit boy! Don't just sit there tell me!"  
  
"I... I... I j-just wanted t-to--"  
  
The vulture slapped the boy, and he fell backwards from the force of the blow. He started crying louder.  
  
"Just wanted to what?! Tell me, boy! Speak up, I'm listening!" The child continued to wail his agony out to the world. "Stop your crying brat!"  
  
The vulture's booted foot sent the boy into the steel wall, a satisfying 'uumph' emerging as the air was forcibly shoved from his lungs.  
  
::Why do you allow this child?::   
  
The boy stopped crying as best he could, trying to escape any further punishment.  
  
::Why do you let him live?:: It was a gentle hissing in the back of his mind, comforting him and soothing his pain.  
  
"Much better. Now tell me. Why did you try to leave the lab?" The vulture leaned in with his hookish nose and black, messy hair.  
  
"I..."   
  
::Tell him child. Speak up.::   
  
"I wanted to see the outside."  
  
The vulture's face contorted in anger, and the boy fell back as he was slapped again. "How many times have I told you?! You are NEVER to leave the lab! Your existence concerns only these rooms! Later, when you are strong and I have finished my tests, you shall be able to see all of the outside world you wish, but know is not the time, you stupid boy!"  
  
The child was crying again, his silver wisps of hair getting into his face as he slumped forward.   
  
::Why do you let him do this child?::   
  
An image flashed before his eyes. The vulture, his face stuck in a permanent display of surprise, his dead form impaled upon the metal leg of one of the lab stools, and one of his sharp tools shoved obscenely through his forehead.  
  
::Why do you let him live?::  
  
The boy felt himself reel forward as he lost what food was left from the meal the vulture had given him an hour before.  
  
"Uugh! Those were new shoes you brat!" The boy was once more slammed against the wall by a fierce kick. The vulture walked over to a switch high up on the wall and leaned in to a microphone. "Get some clean-up down to lab three." He waited a second before the intercom beeped back a reply.  
  
"Right away, Professor Hojo."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I awake from the dream with a start. Hojo. Does that mean that the boy was... I rise shakily to my feet looking about at my surroundings. In the center of the room is a large blood-coloured materia, glinting in the firelight. Zack is sitting next to it, apparently thinking about something.  
  
"I see you're awake." Zack turns his head to look at me.  
  
I make my way to sit next to the black haired man. "I don't even remember falling asleep." A bad habit I seem to have picked up recently. I really need to break it.  
  
"I thought I'd let you rest."   
  
"Hn." I stare into the gigantic materia, allowing myself to be mesmerized by its glow.  
  
"You were dreaming. I saw you thrashing around a bit. Figured I'd let you take care of it though."  
  
I let my head hang forward. Thrashing around, huh? I wonder if that's all I was doing. He's probably just being nice.  
  
"You ok there, Seph?" I feel his hand on my shoulder.   
  
That's Zack alright. Always reassuring.   
  
I shove the hand away and stand up angrily, "Yeah, I'm al--"  
  
Zack cuts off my reply, by springing up from his sitting position, and throwing both of us into a roll across the cavernous room.  
  
"GRREEAAAaaaghhh!!"  
  
Zack springs up from the roll and turns around to where we were talking moments before. Looking across the room to the glowing materia, I see a giant beast, two to three times the height of a man. It seems like a rabig dog, only where one head should be, three sprout out instead, and in the center of the three snarling heads is a fearsome hole of jagged teeth and... nothingness.  
  
Zack prowls off to the side, keeping his concentration on the monster. Two of the beast's heads swivel to watch him, and the other stares unwaveringly at me. I stand and start to circle to the beast's other side, trying to keep an eye on both the monster and Zack at the same time. The fiend goes into a crouch, growling.   
  
Zack grins at me, his love for battle rising to the surface, "Whatever you do, don't let him touch you. I'll try to hold him off, and you think of a way to get rid of that damned materia!" Immediately after finishing his order, Zack jumps into action, charging at the ferocious canine.   
  
The beast meets the charge, jumping high into the air towards Zack, seemingly intent on ripping his head of black spikes from atop his shoulders. As soon as the creature is airborne though, Zack throws himself into another roll to escape, immediately jumping up again and squaring off to face his opponent.   
  
Are you just going to play chicken with it Zack?!  
  
I shake my head and run forward to the materia, trusting Zack to keep safe.   
  
Ok, General. What're you going to do?   
  
I reach out and put my hands around the large materia, feeling the intense energy that it gives off. Around me I hear growling and snarls of frustration as Zack taunts the stupid beast.   
  
Don't get cocky Zack, please.   
  
I shake my head fiercely.  
  
Think Soldier! You can do this. You've got everything you need now complete your mission. What do you know?  
  
I delve into my memories about lessons on the theories on mako and materia. I see a vision of myself and Zack standing before the mako fountain in Mount Nibelheim.   
  
Materia is just highly condensed mako right? It's just mako that's tightly packed and raveled around itself to increase its power. So that means...  
  
I reach out with my consciousness, trying to get a grip on the materia. I feel the energies being given off from it and seek to control them.   
  
Just like with Jenova.  
  
I peel some of the mako layering straight off of the materia, and immediately fall to my knees as the whole world around me gives off a tremor. I hear a sound of shock and turn to see a sweaty Zack has also fallen to the ground.   
  
He can't take much more of this.   
  
Zack quickly gets back to his feet and jumps to the side as the canine landed where he had been split seconds before.   
  
I continue to work furiously, peeling layer after layer of tightly woven mako off of the materia and releasing it into the world around me. I hear a scream of surprise and quickly snap my head over to watch Zack, having misjudged a jump, tumble forward and smack into a wall.   
  
The Shadow Eater continues to snarl as it advances upon the man, who slowly struggles to his feet.  
  
"Zack!" Stupid Sephiroth, you're too slow! If you don't hurry he's going to... No! I'm not going to let this happen now!  
  
I gather all the mako energy I have been releasing back to me, attempting to make myself appeal to the beast's senses, "Hey You!!"  
  
The beast quickly turns and sizes up its new, much tastier target. It starts advancing toward me, Zack completely forgotten.  
  
Oh, shit. This thing really does eat mako.   
  
The beast continues to approach me, as an idea quickly forms in my head.  
  
It might not work but at this point...   
  
I reach out with my mind once more to the materia, only this time, rather than unwind it, I just try to grab onto it. I get a good mental grip and then open my eyes.   
  
The beast is charging now, nearing me very quickly, it's center maw agate to make the kill.   
  
Here goes everything.  
  
I rear backwards, arching my spine and taking the materia with me, pulling it along with my mind. Then with all of my mental and physical force, I hurl the giant globe of mako at the maw of the hastily appoaching fiend.  
  
The globe disappears into the beast's throat. The canine stops in confusion, and starts shaking, as does the entire cavern. Rays sprout out from the beast randomly and the scenery wavers, the whole place seeming to collapse upon itself, melting away like a bad dream. The monster begins convulsing, and then erupts into a blinding light.  
  
Goodbye Rupert.  
  
As the light subsides, I slip once more into comforting nothingness. 


End file.
